Published April 2026 · By the La Moda Merchandising Team · 10 minute read
Running a resort boutique or beach retail operation means your inventory doesn't get a dull month. What moves in January is not what moves in July, and what cruise passengers buy in November is not what Miami walk-ins buy in March. This guide is the month-by-month playbook we give our buyers — what categories to stock, what prints to feature, what to markdown, and what to order next. It's based on 25+ years of La Moda wholesale data across hundreds of US resort retailers.
How to use this guide
Each month below covers four things: what's selling on retail floors that month, what to feature in windows and online, what's arriving from La Moda's drop calendar, and what your order next month should include. The specific product categories reference our wholesale collections.
January — Spring Break ramp-up
Cruise retail peaks; US mainland boutiques start their Spring Break push in mid-January for late-February and March travel. This is one of the year's three highest-margin months.
What's selling: Bold-print bikinis, matching swim + cover-up sets, resort dresses for girls'-trip packing. Younger-skewing boho and tropical prints move fastest.
Feature in windows: Spring Break-themed displays. Matching sets. Miami aesthetic. Any "travel capsule" styling pairs 3 pieces together that customers can buy as a unit.
Arriving from La Moda: Our early-March swim drop previews in email this month. If you want stock by February, place your order by January 20.
Order next month: Mid-summer restocks of Q1 bestsellers.
February — Peak Spring Break selling
Domestic retail momentum builds; cruise retail hits peak. Caribbean buyers are restocking for February–March high-season traffic.
What's selling: High-waist bikinis, sheer cover-ups, white + ivory resort dresses for "honeymoon" and Valentine's travelers, kaftans (cruise retail).
Feature: Travel-ready packaging (branded tissue, gift-ready bags). This is peak "vacation gift" shopping — customers buying for themselves AND bachelorette/birthday/gift occasions.
Arriving from La Moda: March swim drop begins shipping in final week of February to buyers who pre-ordered.
Order next month: Memorial Day stock + early summer fill-ins.
March — Full Spring/Summer launch
La Moda's March drop lands. US mainland boutiques transition out of Spring Break and into summer-focused merchandising. Independent boutique sell-through data from this month sets expectations for the rest of summer.
What's selling: New prints dominate — customers buy what they see in-window this month. Coordinated sets, three-piece beach-to-bar looks, matching swim + cover-up.
Feature: Fresh prints. Seasonal color stories (tropical, Caribbean, Miami). "New Arrival" floor tags drive conversion 30–50% above baseline.
Arriving from La Moda: Full Spring/Summer swim drop. New kaftans, new cover-ups, new resort dresses.
Order next month: April stock-up for Memorial Day. Focus on pack sizes of your March bestsellers.
April — Pre-summer positioning
The walk-in traffic that will peak in June starts arriving this month. Your April merchandising sets the tone for what sells June–August.
What's selling: Resort dresses for spring weddings and graduations, kaftans, cover-ups, bachelorette party bundles. Mother's Day gift-buyers drive secondary traffic.
Feature: Wedding-guest and bachelorette-styling content. Three-outfit styling boards. Early-summer capsule packs.
Arriving from La Moda: April fill-in drop (smaller than March). Resort dress restocks.
Order next month: Peak summer inventory. Prioritize what sold through in March.
May — Memorial Day + summer runway
One of the two biggest retail weekends of the year (Memorial Day). Pre-vacation buyers are at peak intent. US boutiques should be at 100% stocked.
What's selling: Everything that sells in summer. Swim, cover-ups, resort wear, sandals, hats, beach bags.
Feature: Memorial Day promotions (if you do them). "Vacation capsule" bundles. Last chance on any Spring Break leftover that didn't sell — markdown now or lose floor space.
Arriving from La Moda: Mid-summer fill drop ships in early May.
Order next month: Cover-up and resort-dress restocks. This is when you'll start selling out of size ranges on bestsellers.
June — Peak summer selling
The biggest single retail month of the year for most US resort boutiques. Walk-in traffic and sell-through hit the yearly peak.
What's selling: Cover-ups (biggest sell-through month), bikinis, resort dresses, kaftans, bachelorette and bridal-party sets.
Feature: Everything. Rotate window displays every 10 days to capture returning local customers. Bundle merchandising.
Arriving from La Moda: Flash restock capability — our Miami warehouse ships in 2–4 business days for sold-through items.
Order next month: Late-summer closeout + pre-Caribbean resort orders.
July — Mid-summer + July 4th peak
Second-largest single retail weekend of the year (July 4th). Walk-in summer tourism continues in coastal resort markets.
What's selling: Patriotic prints, bold tropical, boho. Size-run gaps start appearing as bestsellers sell through.
Feature: Patriotic-themed displays for July 4th. Refreshed size runs. Hot-item restocks.
Arriving from La Moda: Resort and cover-up drop lands in early July (cruise buyers are the primary audience).
Order next month: Fall/Winter kaftans and long cover-ups for Caribbean and cruise retail.
August — Late summer + Caribbean prep
This is the most underrated month of the year. Most US mainland boutiques slow down, but cruise and resort retail is ramping up for October–March high season. Smart buyers use August to place two orders: closeout + pre-Caribbean.
What's selling: Closeout swim markdowns. Early resort wear for October travelers.
Feature: Markdown rack for cleanup. Pre-Caribbean "vacation prep" capsules.
Arriving from La Moda: Fall/Winter resort drop starts shipping late August.
Order next month: Full fall/winter resort and cruise assortments.
September — Fall transition + cruise season launch
US mainland boutiques transition to fall lifestyle (non-swim). Cruise and Caribbean retail launches into high season.
What's selling: Long kaftans, resort dresses, cover-ups for cooler climates. Layering pieces.
Feature: "Vacation escape" content — remind customers they can still travel in September/October. Cruise-capsule bundles.
Arriving from La Moda: Full Fall/Winter drop lands the first Monday of September.
Order next month: Holiday + early Spring Break preview stock.
October — Cruise retail peak
Cruise ship embarkations peak November–February. Cruise retailers are at maximum stocked state in October.
What's selling: Long cover-ups, resort dresses, kaftans, cruise-retail essentials.
Feature: Cruise and Caribbean vacation capsules. Gift-ready packaging for November holiday gifts.
Arriving from La Moda: Mid-October holiday + Spring Break preview drop.
Order next month: Spring Break 2027 pre-orders.
November — Holiday gifting + Spring Break planning
Gift-shopping walk-ins drive secondary retail. This is when smart boutiques start planning next year's Spring Break order.
What's selling: Gift-ready cover-ups and kaftans. Vacation capsules as holiday gifts. Bachelorette bundles.
Feature: Gift cards, gift-wrap service, "buy the look" bundles.
Arriving from La Moda: Holiday restocks ship through mid-November.
Order next month: Spring Break 2027 — place the order in November for January delivery.
December — Gift peak + Q4 close
Highest-margin gift shopping window. Resort and cruise retail at peak.
What's selling: Gift-ready items — scarves, kaftans, cover-ups, gift cards.
Feature: Holiday gift guides. "Last-minute" displays. Post-holiday vacation stock teasers (for January Caribbean travelers).
Arriving from La Moda: Final restocks ship through December 15 (cutoff for US pre-holiday delivery).
Order next month: Q1 analysis + January Spring Break restocks.
The overarching pattern
- Order 6–10 weeks before retail peak. Every seasonal retail moment has a corresponding order window 6–10 weeks earlier.
- Restock when a pack hits 50% sell-through. Not 80%. By 80% you're too late.
- Cruise retail runs on the opposite calendar from mainland boutiques. October–March is peak, not June–August.
- Keep your closeout rhythm tight. Markdowns in August, not December. Fresh stock deserves your floor.
- Bundle merchandising outperforms single-SKU. Coordinated sets, three-outfit capsules, and vacation packages always outsell isolated products.
Ready to build your year?
Browse the full wholesale catalog, read our buying calendar post, or open a wholesale account to start placing orders. Questions about what to stock in your specific market? Email our merchandising team — we see bestseller data across 500+ US boutiques and can tell you what's selling in your climate and customer segment.
Related reading:
